Denise Di Novi '77

Degree

Current Role

“For me, Simmons was life-changing.”

Denise Di Novi ’77, an independent film producer with 35 major films to her credit, studied communications at Simmons and got her degree in journalism.

“For me, Simmons was life-changing. I entered college without a lot of confidence, feeling that I never had a real voice. Our cultural norm is co-ed, and our cultural norm is male-dominated. To have a rest from that gave me an opportunity to develop in a way that I would have not been able to otherwise. My professors were ardent supporters of women and believed every student could change the world.”

An early success that Di Novi produced was the cult favorite Heathers. She later headed Tim Burton Productions and was responsible for producing several of his most successful films, including Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns and Ed Wood. In 1993, she set up her own production company, Di Novi Pictures at Columbia Pictures. More recently, Di Novi entered into a producing deal with Warner Brothers Pictures, where she remains today.

Looking back, she says Simmons imparted valuable lessons in leadership. “If leadership is about feeling like you and your opinion and sensibility matter, that’s what I got at Simmons. We all came from environments where it was a top priority to be attractive to the opposite sex. That was at least equal to your academic pursuits. Being in an environment where that doesn’t matter at all allows you to create self-esteem and confidence, and that creates the opportunity to be a leader.”

Today, she says she thinks a “single-sex education” is even more relevant. A women’s college, she says, is an “oasis, a sanctuary.”